Upcoming Events

Advocacy Days 101 Workshop Series

Join us on Thursday, October 22nd at 4pm to learn how to navigate through congressional information, identify relevant and timely causes, and identify your legislators.

Join us on Thursday, October 29th at 4pm to learn how to build your pitch, create an effective one-pager, and apply what you’ve learned! Featuring feedback from our guest, Dr. Adriana Bankston, a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations (UC FGR)

Join us on November 4th or 5th at 4pm to set up and plan meetings with your legislators!

Please register by Tuesday, October 20th 5pm: https://bit.ly/AdvocacyDays101 

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Spooktacular Careers with SPEAR

Join us Tuesday Oct 27th at 4:00 PM to hear from experts in science policy and learn about their unique career path. There will be an opportunity to meet one of the panelists in a smaller group setting and ask questions during a breakout session.

Panelists: Miriam Magaña Lopez, MPH (Research and Policy Analyst Othering & Belonging Institute), Dr. David Visi  (Former Christine Mirzayan Science and AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. Current consultant at Strategic Marketing Innovations), and Dr. Vanessa Constant (Current NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Senatorial fellow with Senator Richard Blumenthal)

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Science Policy Happy Hour

Join us for an encore of our successful science policy happy hour at Highwire Lounge in Athens, GA from 6-9pm on May 11th! We look forward to seeing many familiar faces from last time and networking with new students, postdocs, and science policy enthusiasts!

Hosted by Georgia Tech Graduate Student Association (GSA) and UGA Science Policy Education, Advocacy, and Research (SPEAR).

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/372556743256297/

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Science Policy Happy Hour

Join Georgia Tech’s Graduate Student Association and UGA’s Science Policy Education, Advocacy, and Research organization at a Science Policy Happy Hour at Fado Irish Pub from 5-7pm on Friday, April 6th in Midtown Atlanta.

Come mingle and network with students, postdocs, and science policy enthusiasts! Wide variety of food and drinks available!

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/175606736582585/

Fact or Fake News Trivia Night!

Is the Yellowstone volcano about to erupt? Does the flu shot cause the flu? Is climate change real? Learn how to separate fact from fake news at SPEAR’s Alternative Trivia Night!

Entertainment and Media Studies graduate student Jessica Maddox will tell us how actual news can get bent and become misinformation and Cellular Biology Professor Mark Farmer will discuss how scientific fact becomes politicized.

Trivia testing participants ability to spot Fake News will follow. Winners will receive a prize!

Volunteer for U-Lead

Multiple Dates Available (6:30-8:30):

  • 1/25/18
  • 2/22/18
  • 3/29/18

Use this link to sign up to volunteer:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18O9CvgLmxllhQXxZ8EDDinPisJu62DXCpdeoycZg1Uw/edit#gid=0

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/321162191621866/

Who are U-Lead Students?
U-Lead students are current high school students and recent graduates from the Athens area who have varying immigration statuses: DACAmented, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), permanent resident, and first-generation citizens. All of them are extremely motivated and talented students who have grown up in immigrant families and are struggling to get into college despite anti-immigration laws and resolutions in the state of Georgia.

How can we help?
U-Lead is looking for people who can mentor students enrolled in various levels of academics, from College Prep to AP and dual enrollment. They particularly need people who have experience with college admissions, FAFSA (financial aid forms), and DACA renewal.

Address: 717 Oconee Street Athens, Georgia 30606

To learn more about U-Lead: https://www.uleadathens.org/

Come see SPEAR at the Spring Involvement Fair!

Trivia Night/Get to Know You

Come play trivia and meet fellow SPEAR members at Bling Pig Tavern – East, on College Station Road.

UGA Grad Tax Walkout – Save Grad Ed Rally

There will be a nationwide rally/walkout on Wednesday, Nov 29 at 1pm EST/ 10am PST to support higher education and show how vital graduate students are to society. Graduate students are the bedrock of innovation and research in this country. We are vital for the structure and function of higher education in the United States. Without us, universities wouldn’t have enough instructors for their college courses.

View More Event Info here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/grad-tax-walkout-save-grad-education-rally

Don’t forget to print and fill out your, “My tuition waiver lets me…”, signs. Bring them with you! Link here: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a1c104_a15a834d73a14aef963cb27e6d551a2c.pdf

Or you can bring your, “Why I support Higher Education”, signs here:https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a1c104_e81e8d6215a14d3492737b90f48bd766.pdf

Join the nation in protesting the grad student tax here in Athens!

  • Time: 1:00pm
  • Day: November 29, 2017
  • Location: North Campus Quad

General Interest Meeting and White Paper Competition

SPEAR Is having a meeting on Tuesday, October 24th at 5:30 pm in Biological Sciences Room 216. Undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines are encouraged to stop by and learn more about our organization AND our brand new white paper competition!!
Come participate in UGA SPEAR’s white paper competition! A white paper is a governmental document designed to inform its reader of an issue in order to help them form an opinion and eventually take action on said issue. It is widely used in policy-making to inform politicians of issues of importance in upcoming votes and highly coveted by the staff who brief the congressmen and women on current ongoings. Work alone or in a group of up to two people and submit white paper to us on a political issue that you care about and win a Beaker mug and Starbucks gift card! Submissions accepted until November 10th at 5pm!
  • Time: 5:30 pm
  • Day: October 24th, 2017
  • Location: UGA Biological Sciences Building Room 216

Come see SPEAR at the Fall Involvement Fair!

  • Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
  • Day: August 30, 2017
  • Location: Tate Plaza & Lawn

March for Science

S.P.E.A.R. is participating in the Athens March for Science; we hope to see you there!

  • Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Day: April 22, 2017
  • Location: Federal Court Building (115 E. Hancock Ave)

Walk and Talk with a Scientist

Join your fellow S.P.E.A.R. friends at an event organized by the Oconee Democrats to provide scientists a chance to talk with community members about their work. People who drop by will be paired with a scientist to walk around a short loop in the park and talk about their research.

  • Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
  • Day: April 23, 2017
  • Location: Herman C. Michael Park

For more information, check out the event page.

General Interest Meeting

Come learn more about our new organization and the ideas we have planned for the fall. Students of all disciplines are welcome!

  • Time: 5:30 pm
  • Day: April 25, 2017
  • Location: UGA Biological Sciences Building Room 216

Q&A with AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship Recipient Hosted by S.P.E.A.R

  • Time: 6:00 pm
  • Day: August 2, 2017
  • Location: Hi-Lo Louge, 1354 Prince Ave

Interested in applying for the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship?? 

S.P.E.A.R (Science Policy Education, Advocacy, and Research) is hosting a happy hour Q&A with a 2017-18 recipient of the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship (STPF). Join us in hearing from Norbert Tavares, PhD about his tips for the application process! Dr. Tavares is a recent graduate from the UGA Microbiology Department. 

We will be meeting Wednesday August 2nd at 6:00 pm  at Hi-Lo Lounge (1354 Prince Ave, Athens, GA 30606). 

The application deadline for the 2018-19 fellowships is November 1, 2017. To learn more about the AAAS STPF visit: https://www.aaas.org/program/science-technology-policy-fellowships